Some people set very high standards. Standards so high they can only be compared to themselves. In the music business, this means one can release an album that is considered a dud but if another artist released the same album, it would be considered their best work. Kanye West belongs in that category. That’s about the only category he belongs in.

Dude is on a whole different playing field when it comes to production and vision and “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is perhaps the greatest example of this yet. Following the disappointingly self indulgent “808’s and Heartbreaks” (one of those albums I referred to in the first paragraph), Ye had his little Taylor Swift mixup and disappeared. Since then, he was a driving force behind Jay-Z’s resurgent “Blueprint 3″ and worked on this, perhaps his masterpiece.

We live in an age where attention spans are on a precipitous decline. Kanye challenges that convention with conviction. He dares the listener to delve into his work. An album in the truest sense of the word, ‘Fantasy’ is sprawling, cohesive and most of all entertaining. There is not a skippable track amongst the bunch.

It starts on the right foot with a female asking ‘Can it get much higher?’ (the answer is no if this album is the standard) on the ridiculously ill “Dark Fantasy”. This is followed by “Gorgeous”, which is the best display of just how far Kanye has come as a rapper. Some of the songs may be familiar (particularly, “Power”, “Monster”, “Runaway” and “So Appalled”) but that doesn’t make them any less dope (all are amongst my favorite tracks of the year). And the previously unheard material adheres to the same standard.

The added instrumentation and surprisingly focused verse from Rick Ross raises “Devil in a New Dress” up a notch and the feature laden “All of the Lights” is about to be the theme song for your next night out. “Hell of a Life” features Ye at his most arrogantly and awesomely brash and “Blame Game” manages to be beautiful, heartfelt and hilarious all at once (my friend told me that’s the gayest thing I’ve ever said). This isn’t a collection of songs, it’s an experience. And the best part is, it remains a rap album; psychedelic guitars, blaring horns, tribal drums and all; at it’s core, it keeps it hip hop.

Kanye’s personality (which is oftentimes hilarious to witness) cannot take away from the reality: he is the most daring pop artist currently going. If you don’t listen to this record at least once, you’re crazy.

On Recovery, Slim reaches out to a bevy of producers for the first time in his career. The result is unique for an Eminem record but despite various craftsmen, the album has a unifying pop-rock sound; a sound that is probably the right fit for the current age and demo of his fanbase. While his last effort Relapse (which he trashes here…I liked it) had a playfully dark and maniacal tone, this one establishes a new direction right from the jump with the banging “Cold Wind Blows.” It is vintage Eminem. The second track, “Talkin’ to Myself” is a brutally honest self assessment that even depicts jealousy toward other rappers. The album hits a speed bump after that with the bland “On Fire”, the generic and forced “Won’t Back Down”, the sort of fun but ultimately unnecessary “W.T.P.” and the contrived Black Sabbath sampling “Going Through Changes”.

But while most albums blow their loads early nowadays, this one recovers (get it?) as it goes along. And the mid to latter portion is filled with standouts that rank amongst the best of his career. “Seduction” is a bouncy pleasure in the vein of “Superman” (notice his use of the Jay-Z “AW” ad lib…I’m still trying to figure out his intention here). The Just Blaze produced “No Love” somehow samples the Night at the Roxbury theme without being corny. Lil’ Wayne sounds right at home on the track, Em is Em and the whole ordeal makes me bob my head like a hooded out Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. Eminem’s singing on the chorus is the only thing keeping it from being perfect. “Space Bound” is a love song and it is one of the best he has made. The hook is just about as infectious I’ve ever heard. I’m singing it right now. “25 to Life” is a metaphor track about his relationship with hip hop and it’s a goodie. The lone Dr. Dre contribution “So Bad” is hard as hell and Rihanna sounds absolutely glorious on the surefire hit record “Love the Way You Lie”.

Now on to the problems. There are two major ones. Marshall’s insistence on singing corny emo hooks (didn’t they clown Ja Rule for crooning?). I mentioned the one on “No Love” but the most egregious example is on the Proof tribute “You’re Never Over”. I wish Proof didn’t die so I didn’t have to hear this song. It sounds like a parody. The hooks bring several songs down a notch. The other major stumbling block is the constant use of his “angry flow”. Sometimes I want to say “why do you keep yelling at me!” while I’m listening. It hurts my brain. The overuse of this is comparable to the silly accents (which I enjoyed at times) on Relapse. The songs where he varies his delivery are some of my favorites. The remainder of the album I failed to mention ranges from pretty good (“Almost Famous”) to forgettable.

Overall, Eminem proves once again that he may be the greatest pure spitter of all time. And while his ability to craft a perfect record and consistently re-playable songs may still come under question, the standouts here are unquestionably great. Recovery is worthy of his legendary status, even if it is not legendary in and of itself.

Best tracks: “Cold Wind Blows”, “Seduction”, “Space Bound”, “No Love”, “25 to Life”, “So Bad”, “Love the Way You Lie”

I say this after seeing one of my main boyfriends, Jay-Z, perform live several times recently (pause). The jump in quality Hov’s show has taken from earlier this decade is astounding. The experience has been upgraded Beyonce-style. His show went from a fairly good time to some of the best concerts I have ever seen. And as a result, rap has its first Rolling Stones level live act.

This occurred because he took a cue from the Roots (always sick live) and a few other hip hop groups and began using organic music at his shows. Now he’s got his own band (they are nasty) and it just makes everything sound crisper and more unique. Some of his songs are even better live than they are on the record and that makes for a serious experience considering the vastness of his catalogue.

I’ve since seen other acts follow suit. That is a very good thing for the rap genre. If I wanted to hear playback, I’d turn my stereo up loud and mouth the lyrics to myself in the mirror. Yet, that is what most hip hop shows were. A bunch of dudes jumping around shouting muffled stuff to loud playback. The only way that is interesting is if the lead MC is totally compelling and energetic. Fortunately, that is no longer the scenario (another one).

Hip hop has always sounded awesome on record. Now it can sound awesome in concert too. “Can I get a encore/Do you want more”…

Some of you may ask, what exactly is a hater? Urbandictionary.com defines a hater as “a person that simply cannot be happy for another person’s success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person.” I partially agree with that definition but I think it is easier to describe with real life examples. A hater is that person who will laugh at your joke and then tell you it isn’t funny. A hater is a person who questions your motivation for pursuing your goals. This person is constantly irritated whenever you feel genuine satisfaction. To me haters are those who aren’t happy with their existence and don’t try to improve it, whether due to lack of motivation or another reason. As a result, they are inherently unhappy with ambitious people who have achieved any level of success (there is also the type of dude who just hates on stuff to be funny or as a character trait, not out of malice. They can be cool).

The great thing about haters is irony. They are actually a great motivator. You can blame them for anything. If you are tired and don’t feel like working, simply tell yourself “I can’t let these haters get me down.” And chances are if you have haters then you are doing something right. The more you accrue, the better you are doing. Haters are actually your biggest fans. So, if you’ve got them (or even if you don’t), feel free to address them. “Hi haters.” “Good morning haters.” “Sorry haters.” “I love all my haters.” Using sentences and declarations featuring the word hater is simply awesome. Try it sometime.

So remember, don’t be a hater and don’t be bothered by haters. But also don’t be scared to voice your opinion because as Common once said “If I don’t like it, I don’t like it. That don’t mean that I’m hating.” Nobody needs yes men. Peace haters.

Honorable Mentions: Ghostface (it kills me not to put someone from Wu on this list and he has the best catalogue of the bunch), Andre 3000 (along with Wu, Kast is my favorite group ever), Ice Cube (was a monster but I think of him more as the star of some movie about a guy burping a baby at this point), Chuck D, Scarface, Big Daddy Kane, Big Pun, T.I. (I like him better than Weezy), KRS One and Jim Jones (Just kidding on that last one. I honestly believe I could out-rap him).

10. LL Cool J: Showed everyone how you burst on the scene in a big way and proceeded to pioneer cornering the female market. His longevity wins out over a lack of memorable albums.

9. Kanye West: He has traditionally been thought of as a producer but his rap-game has improved dramatically over the last several years and no one can deny the quality of the music he has put out. The metrosexual yet sometimes entertaining ‘808’s and Heartbreaks’ aside, nobody has released a better first three albums. If this was a list of best hip hop artists, he might already be higher. As is, he might move up anyway.

8. Snoop: Only two other guys have burst on the scene like he did, 50 Cent and DMX. But Snoop is still synonymous with the West Coast (honorable mention to Ice Cube). He kind of defines the Dr. Dre sound and still comes with a major hit now and again. He was never super lyrical but always had flavor. Snoop will make an unbelievable Las Vegas act some day.

7. Lil’ Wayne: Love him or hate him, you can’t deny him. Personally, I think he sometimes makes great music, other times I think he sounds like a drunk, robotic frog with elementary lyrics. However, he is the generation younger than mine’s guy. The impact is undeniable and so is the production (I think he has appeared on every single released since 2002. Does he steal cd’s from the pressing plant and add a verse guerilla style?). If he keeps going, he could move up. If he doesn’t, he could fall back.

6. Nas: Illmatic is still lauded as one of the greatest albums of all time and people still argue for Nas as the best. His lyrical acumen is unquestionable but I think his lack of versatility and quality control keep him from being at the very top. His slugging % is off the charts though. When he makes a great song, he makes a GREAT song.

5. Eminem: His impact has been huge; he brought a whole new audience to the hip hop universe. On top of that, he is deadly on the mic (Do you wonder if guys are scared to battle or hop on a track with him?…”his flow on Renegade f**kin’ awesome”). He is the guy on this list with the best chance to move up. One or two more dope records and he can stake a claim for the top three.

4. Rakim: He truly changed the game. Guys used to rap like “one-two, buckle my shoes” until Ra, Big Daddy Kane and G Rap hit the scene and revolutionized how one spits a verse. Rakim’s music holds up the best and he is still one of the best to ever do it. His influence will keep him on the list, if not in this spot.

3. Tupac: People love this dude. He was like a super hero. He released a billion songs in a short period of time (all rhyming Hennessy and enemies at some point) and plenty of them are anthems to this day. I never really got into his albums but tons of guys will have the ambition to ride with him until the end.

2. Biggie: He and Pac almost belong in a category together because of how they will always be tied to one another. However, Big was a better rapper, and like Pac, plenty of his hits are still anthems (better yet, Playa’s Anthems). Lack of albums and proof that he would continue to make good music is the only thing holding him back. He and Pac could get passed at some point because they won’t be making any more records. It isn’t really their fault but it is reality.

1. Jay-Z: He’s supposed to be number one on everybody’s list, we’ll see what happens when he no longer exists. Kool G. Rap (who could have cracked this list) said of Hov “He is a master of his craft…Dude is in a class by himself. Dudes ain’t even touching him as far as I’m concerned,” and I don’t see how anyone can argue against Jay at this point. Yes, he is my personal favorite. But he is also the most versatile and influential rapper ever and his catalogue is untouchable. “Can’t leave rap alone, the game needs me.” He is kind of right about that.

Agree to disagree?

BP3 goes for a new sound with an overlying message of “I’m Jay-Z and I am really awesome and if you take some initiative and show some ambition than you can be pretty awesome too.” This message is delivered emphatically with some serious backdrops provided by the likes of Kanye West and No I.D. (the bulk of the album), Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, and more.

Much like the original Blueprint (my favorite album of all time) I consider this a “play through.” You can put it on and don’t HAVE to skip a track. Now that doesn’t mean there aren’t standout cuts. The 2nd track ‘Thank You’ features feel-good horns and some vicious raps that harken back to Reasonable Doubt style delivery (the 3rd verse is just bananas). ‘Empire State of Mind’ featuring Alicia Keys is a New York anthem pulled off to great results and will likely make for a monster single. It makes me want to stick my arms out and spin around in circles.

Meanwhile, songs like ‘On to the Next One’ and ‘Off That’ are sure to punish the clubs and ‘Already Home’ and ‘Hate’ are heat seeking missiles aimed at critics (those who say he can’t rap anymore have officially been silenced). And that is not even mentioning the already hit singles ‘D.O.A.’ and ‘Run this Town,’ or the excellent ode to recent hip hop history ‘A Star is Born.’

After over ten years on top and at almost 40-years-old you would think Jay-Z would run out of ways to come with fresh music but the Blueprint 3 proves otherwise. I guess he really will not lose…ever. AUH!

“I’m in the hall already/on the wall already/I’m a work of art/I’m a Warhol already/on another level/on another plane already/H-O-V/ I got my own lane already.”-’Already Home’

Click here to listen to ‘Already Home’

The first thing that takes this album down a notch in my book is that I am not a big fan of Raekwon’s delivery (particularly post early Wu stuff). I find him monotonous as if he is rapping right after waking up from a coma. He sounds the same on every song here, which is amplified by the guest appearances, who almost all shine.

The other major negative for me is that while I am a big fan of 90’s Wu-Tang (some of my favorite music ever) I kind of wish they tried to put an updated spin on it rather than attempting to recapture that exact sound. Dr. Dre does a nice job of this on ‘Catalina’ (could have been a great song if not for the hook) and Rza does the same on the standout cut ‘Black Mozart’ (maybe my favorite track here, Inspectah Deck shines on this one). Also, the subject matter, while entertaining, is a rehash of older stuff. Something about 40-year-old dudes robbing and slinging crack doesn’t resonate with me fully but I am probably nitpicking here and should treat it as a street fantasy (I sound old all the sudden).

Enough with the negatives because there is plenty to like here. At 22 tracks the fat could have been trimmed but that doesn’t mean there aren’t bangers galore. ‘New Wu’ is a fantastic Wu-Tang posse cut with Method Man slamming it home. ‘Penitentiary’ is just tough (hence the title) and Ghostface steals the show as he does on nearly every one of his appearances (this album needs more Ghostface). Some of my other favorite joints include ‘10 Bricks,’ ‘Canal Street,’ and album closer ‘Kiss the Ring.’

I must give credit where credit is due. I didn’t expect Raekwon to come through here (after all it is still his name attached to the OBFCL brand) and he put out an album that while not classic material is at least worthy of the name Cuban Linx. And that is quite an accomplishment.

Click here to listen to ‘Black Mozart’

1. What We Talkin’ Bout: Good intro, the chorus is a grower. Not his best opener though. 4/5

2. Thank You: Dope, feel good music. Crushes fools on the last verse. Insane. 4.5/5

3. D.O.A.: Everyone has heard this by now. Still flames. 5/5

4. Run This Town: See above ^^ Could be his most successful single ever. 5/5

5. Empire State of Mind: Classic. New York anthem. 5/5

6. Real As It Gets: Young Jeezy brings some flavor. Final verse is bananas. 4.5/5

7. On To The Next One: Swizz provides a better backdrop than I expected…this bumps. 4/5

8. Off That: I am an admitted Timbo fan. Good club type joint. 4/5

9. A Star Is Born: I love the feel and concept here. One of my favorite tracks. 5/5

10. Venus Vs. Mars: Witty lyrics, good strip club type beat. 3.5/5

11. Already Home: Hot beat, good concept, aggressive raps. Banger. 5/5

12. Hate: Different, comical in a good way. The end is hilarious. 4.5/5

13. Reminder: Track that has caught a lot of hate. I am a fan. AUGH! 4/5

14. So Ambitious: The Neptunes laced him. I want to drive with the windows down right now. 4.5/5

15. Young Forever: Corny. But in a very good way. I can see mixed opinions on this one. I like it. 4/5

I am a Hov Stan so I could be a little biased but I honestly like every track. GodamnyamanHov cracked the can open again…(I promise only one more blog on this album and that will be my final review.)
————————————————–
*I forced my girlfriend to listen through one time (on laptop speakers mind you). Here are her thoughts…

1st: I expected more hype from the first song. Was not able to hold my interest.

2nd song: Boring. Can’t comment yet.

3rd song: Overplayed (but still okay for bobbing your head to because of the saxophone)

4th song: Best song – only because it sounds like the umbrella song. And I like the Caesar part

5th song: He is rude! He made the Yankee hat more popular than a Yankee can?!

6th song: Why rawh and all these random noises on this record?

7th song: Okay this is my favorite song yet. Is he saying bringing on the knicks? I like the reference to Oprah.

8th song: Why are all his songs about predicting the future?

9th song: Rob loves this song! I don’t.

10th song: I don’t generally like the word “shortie” but I like this song.

10th song (amendment): Rob said this a good strip club song. I no longer like this song.

11th song: I think he may be worried about getting old. He is gone already?

12th song: I generally like songs about haters.

13th song: Reminder. Jay-z thinks he is awesome.

14th song: Rob likes this song.

15th song: I like this song. It is a sweet lullaby. Should end the album on this song. Oh, he does.

For those of you who don’t know the backstory (that is probably almost all of you), Joe Budden and Wu-Tang got involved in a war of words after Budden declared that he is currently a better rapper than Method Man. Joe’s mouth tends to get him in trouble, particularly since he spends most of his existence broadcasting over the internet, but this seemed like an unnecessary shot at a legend. However, it had me salivating about the back and forth battle tracks that might have ensued. Budden is one of the greatest battle rappers around and I was hoping this would give the Clan a much needed shot in the arm.
But there were no diss tracks (other than the mediocre one released by Wu member Inspectah Deck). Instead, Raekwon (yet another Wu member, aka the Chef) and a crew of like six guys ran up on Budden (while he was live streaming on the internet again) snuffed him and left him with a nice shiner. I don’t know if this was a publicity stunt for Rae’s new album (if it was, that is retarded in and of itself) or just close to 40-year-old men acting like over sensitive thugs. What I do know is that I would be much more entertained by Raekwon rapping about punching Joe Budden, among other insults, than him having his goon actually do it.

Jay-Z (you knew I had to bring him up at some point) is taking Oprah to Marcy Projects and hanging with the President and you guys are acting like middle schoolers over the internet. Way to go! Wu-Tang Clan really ain’t nothing to f*** with, they’re just f***ing dumb.

*Checks to make sure no member of the Wu-Tang entourage is going to bust in the door and punch me in the face over that last sentence*

So far the news has been good. Kanye West (gay-fish or not, dude makes good music) had a big hand in shaping the record and there were studio sessions that had Jay, Ye, Timbaland and NO I.D. in a room together. That can’t help but turn out good. I am dancing right now.

Not only am I excited but this is an important record for Hov (as important as a release can be to someone who already has hundreds of millions) as it will define his post “retirement” career and because he has successfully garnered a lot of anticipation due to the time it took him to make it, the buzz behind the D.O.A. record and the use of the Blueprint name (my favorite album ever). If it is a winner than he will have even more ammo to rap about how great he is, as he is certainly apt to do.

Ok, I think you get it. I love Jay-Z and I can’t wait to hear the Blueprint 3. I will now end my pointless musings. “Can’t leave rap alone the game needs me.”